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Vietnam
Dates Traveled: June-July 2003
Ho Chi Minh City
I caught a bus over bone-jarring Cambodian roads to the border, where we encountered inefficiency and stupidity in all its forms. All mini-vans were timed to arrive at the border at the same time, but they only had one official checking passports…others were there, but simply sitting around watching, so we waited in the hot afternoon sun. Nice. Finally got through and jumped on a bus to travel over nice, smooth, paved roads to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) - quite a change from Cambodia. It was also apparent from the buildings and cars that Vietnam was a richer country than Cambodia. Other sight that strikes you immediately in HCMC…motorcycles! They’re everywhere, with many women donning elbow-length gloves to protect their arms and bandanas around their mouth and nose to keep out the pollutants. Unfortunately I also noticed that fewer women seemed to be wearing the traditional outfit, the ao dai, which was a shame, as I find it very elegant and beautiful.
I wandered to the reunification palace, which was the home and command center for the president of South Vietnam. However, it’s best remembered in the photos of the tanks breaking through the gate on April 30, 1975, and the people scrambling into helicopters on the roof. I also visited the War Remnants Museum, which in the past was known as the American War Crimes Museum. When I was here in ‘99 I was one of the few westerners, but I went through with three truckloads of Vietnamese soldiers in full uniform, making a powerful and lasting impression. This time it was loaded with westerners, and the content seemed to have been toned down as well…it didn’t seem as blatantly anti-American as 4 years ago. It really is a good museum to help understand the other side of the story.
Mekong Delta
I opted to take a two-day trip west of HCMC into the Mekong Delta region, where the first day we cruised some of the waterways observing traditional life along the river. I spent the evening with a local family which was enjoyable, as they prepared quite a feast for us…initiated by the man clubbing a large fish to death with a piece of firewood, and culminating with a large amount of rice wine being consumed. Early the next morning we boarded our small boat and motored around the floating market, each boat selling various fruits and vegetables.
Mui Ne
Everybody basically takes the same ‘tour’ through Vietnam, with only one main choice…the mountains of Dalat or the beach of Mui Ne. Contrary to my nature I opted for the beach and enjoyed my time there…relaxing on the beach, but also taking an organized trip one day. We stopped on a beach to watch sunrise and people in small, round boats row out to the fishing vessels just offshore to bring the evenings catch to those villagers waiting onshore. Next it was to a set of large sand dunes which we slid down on sheets of plastic - great fun going down…hard work climbing back to the crest. We then climbed around a couple other sets of dunes, and walked in a stream through a gorge with some nice sand formations. It was a good way to spend part of a day - even if I did have to start at 5 AM. There were very few people in Mui Ne, so it was a nice place to relax for a few days, get some sun, and eat some fresh seafood.
Nha Trang
A short 4 1/2 hour bus trip north dumped me in Nha Trang. There is a nice beach there, but having just done the beach thing in a much nicer, quieter place I was anxious to be moving along. Only thing that really piqued my curiosity were the shoeshine boys on the beach, where most people were wearing sandals. Huh? Not a wise career choice, though some may say the same about quitting your job to bum around the world for several years.
Hoi An
A twelve hour overnight bus trip next took me to Hoi An, which was a great little place. For those of you that have been let me make this statement - believe it or not it is possible to visit Hoi An and not buy clothes! For those of you in the dark, Hoi An is famed as a town full of tailors who can, in about a day and for very little money, make you just about anything. I spent my time wandering about the old town with its temples, Chinese assembly halls, and old homes. The lively morning market and the nearby river afforded many photo opportunities and a glimpse into the working side of this pleasant town. One day I took a motorcycle outside of town to My Son, which is a UNESCO site of Cham ruins, but which quite honestly wasn’t that impressive. Also spent a bit of time relaxing on China Beach - famed as a retreat for the American soldiers during the conflict. Really enjoyed Hoi An - an easy place to stay longer than anticipated.
Hue
Next stop…Hue. Checked out the fortified walls and buildings of the citadel in town, and also took a day trip along the Perfume River to view pagodas, temples, and some royal tombs - some of which were quite elaborate and impressive.
DMZ
From Hue, and on my way to Ninh Binh, I opted to do a tour of the former DMZ. Basically turned out to be a waste of money. We were shown a few of the strategic hills in the region, a church riddled with bullet holes, military installations, the river/bridge dividing north and south between ‘54 and ‘75, and the Vinh Moc tunnels. I’d seen the more famous tunnels of Cu Chi - nearer to HCMC, in ‘99, so wanted to see some that were reportedly in more pristine condition and not enlarged for us westerners. Tunnel complexes were immense and utilized by the north during the war to travel between positions without having to show themselves above ground. They also provided a means for popping above ground for surprise attacks…sometimes right in the middle of military installations. They contained all the necessities…meeting halls, hospital areas, eating areas, sleeping quarters, etc.
Tam Coc
Ninh Binh is near an area known as Tam Coc, or, as it is most often described, Halong Bay in the rice fields. The same dramatic karst topography found in the famous Bay can be observed by renting a small rowboat for a leisurely tour through the scenery. A nice way to spend a morning. I’d rented a motorcycle for the day in Ninh Binh, so I also rode to old temples, the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, and various small villages. It was an enjoyable day, with nice scenery towering above the rice fields at every turn.
Hanoi
The bus to Hanoi passes through Ninh Binh at an early hour, but they’re never sure exactly what time it will arrive, so I was sitting on my pack outside at 3:30 AM. Between that time and 4:15 when my bus arrived I was amazed at the number of people pedaling or riding motorcycles to destinations to start their day. Crazy. Arriving in Hanoi at 5:45 I witnessed the same - people getting an early start to their day exercising by one of the lakes…walking, running, stretching, or doing aerobics.
My plan was to only spend a day in Hanoi and then move farther north, to the local market at Bac Ha and trekking around the hilltribe region of Sapa. Both are known for their color and the local minority tribes, and I’d been looking forward to both for some time. However, it wasn’t meant to be. As my visa was due to run out in a few days I looked into getting it extended, but was told the visa I purchased in Phnom Penh could not be extended - I’d have to buy a new one. “Ok, no problem, how much?” As an American I was told I’d have to pay more than other nationalities - US$100 total. As I’d only paid US$25 for my existing Vietnamese visa I decided that was too steep a price to pay…it would be good for another month, but I only needed a few days, so decided against the visa. All this took much longer than you can ever imagine, and I was run through various hoops…prices quoted were drastically different from one place to the next, so I decided to go to the source - the embassy, to find the true cost. Believe it or not they wouldn’t tell me. They said that as a foreigner I’d have to go through a travel agent. Frustration at every turn, made worse by the fact that they seem to try to cheat people much more in northern Vietnam than they did in the south. In the end I opted instead to push a Chinese visa through the system in a shorter time than normal (and also paying extra for being American).
Anyway, I spent a few frustrating days in Hanoi trying to take advantage of my forced downtime. I looked for computers with the right combination of hardware and software to work on my pictures, but to now avail. I decided to exchange some books, but couldn’t find a good shop. There were young kids on the streets that sold books and other stuff, but they all sold EXACTLY the same items. In fact, it got to the point where I’d see them approach and say, “Let me guess, you have postcards, two books - The Quiet American and Sorrows of War, a Vietnamese phrasebook, a map of Hanoi, and a map of Vietnam.” They weren’t amused, but couldn’t understand when I tried to explain that it didn’t really make a lot of sense for each of them to sell the same items. The only one who tried to sell me something different was trying to sell me two books that I’d voluntarily given to another young kid the day before - he was trying to sell my own books back to me! I tried to tell one young bookseller that in HCMC people walk around with towering stacks of books, and that I’d actually bought several there because they had a variety. I concluded by saying that for books it was “much better in HCMC” to which he replied, “Not better, just different” Oops - still a bit of a sore spot, and the people in the north are extremely patriotic.
Halong Bay
I did take the opportunity to wander around Hanoi, seeing some sites I’d missed in ‘99, and to see the unique and entertaining water puppet show again. I also took the trip out to Halong Bay with its fantastic scenery. It was enjoyable to visit a few caves, check out the floating fishing village, and simply relax in the sun on the top deck of the boat and watch the world float by. After the frustrations of the previous few days, it was a nice, relaxing way to finish my month in Vietnam
Vietnam Is…
For me, Vietnam will always be rice fields; pointed bamboo hats, but North Vietnamese army style hats in the north; ao dai; people carrying everything on shoulder poles; elegant, though short, women wearing platform shoes; motorcycles; bicycles; cyclos; and nice scenery. It’s many vehicle accidents caused by excessive speed on better quality roads; and the frustrating procedure for passing through a toll plaza - stop at a booth to buy ticket, drive 100 meters to the gate, give ticket to an attendant while another attendant manually raises the bar so you can pass. Nothing like keeping the populace employed. Last, you notice that each country seems to use it’s internet cafes for a particular purpose - porn in India, games in China, and Vietnam had chat/instant messaging…every young person seemed consumed with chatting.
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